As many of you know I used to be an Astros fan and write about the Astros all the time, trying to weave good in amongst the “mundane”. I found it fascinating, but not everyone likes baseball or the Astros, or at least not enough to read about them every day. The real topic for today is what can you do well, and what can you do with it.

When I was little, people told me I was good at math. As noted before, when I was little I assumed everyone was a Christian like me. So at least for a while, I assumed everyone was good at math too. I eventually figured out that not everyone was as good at math as I was, but I also figured out while I might be better at math, pretty much everyone was better at something than I was. One goal came to avoiding doing things with people who were better at it than I was. No running against the fast kid, no pushing the biggest kid, and nothing in front of a group of strangers.

But I was good at math, so I did math. I just never seemed to figured out how to do anything outside school with it.

When I was not quite so little, I figured out I was “good” at assessing statistics on the back of baseball cards and figuring out who the best players for a game were. I competed against other kids who knew more about baseball than I did, but my assessments gave me a statistically significant advantage at the game. In the end, the game became less fun as the statistics played themselves out over larger sample sizes (and I kept winning).

I was good at assessing baseball statistics, but I never seemed to figure out how to apply it outside games.

As I matured a little more, I figured out that I liked baseball cards that were in better condition than others that were not. It is a simple concept, but I only used it to try and buy a little bit better condition cards when the cost differential was not too great. I do not actually know if my “ability” to like better stuff is any different than anyone else’s, but I do know that knowing this has not led me to take advantage of it beyond buying a few extra cards here, there, and yonder.

I was “good” at understanding things are better than others, but I never seemed to figure out how to apply it outside baseball cards.

So eventually I wrapped all these skills up into dominating at fantasy baseball. To the point it was not fun anymore, and I got my free time back from my “hobby”. Looking back, it was not just about math, assessing the statistics or paying for “better”. It was about using these things to convince others to trade players with me and “work the system.” I knew the rules better than everyone and I used that to my advantage. 

I got good at knowing the rules and using them to my advantage, but I never seemed to figure out how to apply it outside fantasy baseball.

I know my mentor is probably screaming “just spit it out” about now, but I want to include one more example and until “example”, I was still on the first page. (inside joke) I have eventually learned that my math skills are not really math skills, but a function of how my brain takes in data and makes use of it. It is a God given ability and I could not explain it without years of training in psychology or whatever field studies how the mind works. And not only that, but my brain works differently with concrete things like math and engineering than it does with spiritual things like faith and bible study. My company is not an engineering company, but a consulting company that does engineering.

All this to say that as I look back, I have never really had a plan of how to figure out what I could do well and then apply it. I have bounced from one thing to another building on blocks that I never focused on putting in place. On the one hand I could have used all my math, statistics, and assessing skills to make a lot of money. On the other hand, I am not trying to keep my family fed and sheltered by working multiple minimum wage part time jobs.

Our lives are not cookie cutting development systems designed to extract the most of what the world has to offer. Our job is to live each day, follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, and maybe, just maybe, see that we have made a little headway.

In 2017, I was confident the Astros were the best team going and predicted success. In 2021, I have a vague feeling that the Astros might be able to make the playoffs and predict only that they are unlikely to extract any money from me before then. Now if I could only figure out why I sold the best stock I ever owned right before it went on another run.